About this quote

The outcome never floats free of how you reached it. Corners cut, lies told, force applied — these don't evaporate once you've won; they stain the result and become part of what it is. A worthy goal reached by dishonest methods is compromised from the start, because the means are already the end in the making.

When to use it

• A startup that inflates its user numbers to raise money, then can't live up to the story.
• A student who cheats through the exam and later can't do the job the grade promised.
• Closing a sale with a half-truth, then spending months cleaning up the fallout.